Bronze Fire (Book 1)
by 03Fantasy
Summary: When a delirious father is found limp in the snow with two kits, the Clan that finds them are clueless as to where he and his family came from. When he refuses explanation but manages to be apart of their ranks, a prophecy forms. Will the cat rule the Clan as a bloodthirsty villain, or a silent hero? (Warrior Cats)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

A silver tabby stood in the snow, a blur of white whipping through the air. Steam puffed from the tom's jaws, golden eyes narrowed against the blizzard as he put his tail protectively around two kits that were of different shades of gray.

A distant roar sounded, at least, it sounded distant. As the snowflakes cleared for only half a second, a figure of a gray wolf was visible. Copper eyes glared down at the three, piercing the night's darkness.

The father stood rigidly, limbs numb and burning with pain. It wasn't normal for wolves to be so active during a blizzard, but it was possibly hungry. He flicked his gaze to his two kits.

They were both trembling, looking ready to fall in a heap. If the father didn't act quickly, the kits wouldn't make it. But nor would he.

Loud crunching sounds could be heard, nearly downed out by the wind. The wolf was nearing. The tom whipped around, grasping the two's scruffs easily in his jaws, since they were small enough.

He hesitated, body shaking violently. No, he couldn't mourn. If he couldn't have a mate, then he would have the kits, whether or not the world liked it.

He weakly began to trudge away from the predator, moving making him gasp in pain. He forced himself to pick up the pace, the wind threatening to throw his paws from beneath him.

_This is for you, Stormpath. _He thought stubbornly as barking sounded from behind, making him dash onward.

He tried desperately to taste the air. The kits hadn't made a peep for longer than he liked. No scent hit his glands, only the sharp air that stung his lungs. Nothing could be smelled in the snow, but it was worth a try.

_Where is Riverclan territory?! _He snarled in his brain, daring not to halt, no matter how much it was tempting. He swung his head back and forth, looking for anything that looked to be an island, or any body of water, that would show signs of him getting close.

When seeing nothing, be grit his teeth against the kits' scruffs. No...their bodies were getting colder. He sprinted into a cluster of ferns that stung when his body collided into their frozen leaves.

The silver tabby broke from the thick, frozen undergrowth, into a snowy clearing. He surely must be getting closer? He let out a startled gasp when a massive gray body flew over their heads, and the canine stood before them, fangs flashing against the white.

Growling, the father snapped in a different direction, to his left. As he dashed away, he made sure to make his hind legs kick harder. He smirked when he heard a whine of disapproval from the wolf. Kicking snow in the face would falter anyone.

He ran on, and before he knew it, he was running across a snowy moor once more. He must have overshot the territory, foxdung!

It was beginning to be difficult to breathe, and his limbs ached and screamed in pain. He could hear his heart in his ears, letting out heavy thuds that echoed eerily in his mind.

His pace began to slow, tail drooping and dragging. The wolf was nearing, he knew, but he was just so tired...

He lifted one shaky paw to take another step, the forever white world blurring. But his body wouldn't move but shake, trying to make any sort of warmth. He blinked slowly, jaws loosening. Exhaustion hung heavy over him. Maybe he could just sleep for a bit...?

He didn't realize he had dropped the kits until he collapsed to his side, body landing side by side the now mewling daughter and son. He looked at the gray sky, snowflakes covering most of it.

A snarling face suddenly covered his view, and a warm, wet liquid dripped onto him. He closed his eyes, drowsiness taking over. Why wouldn't it just let him sleep? Just close his eyes for a few heartbeats?

* * *

><p>Raccoonstripe frowned, halting when hearing distant...snarls? He took a side glance to a dusty brown tabby she-cat by the name of rabbit-tail. Her emerald eyes were narrowed. "What is that?"<p>

The wind clawed at the White, gray, and black tabby's fur as he narrowed his eyes, looking ahead. He saw a large figure hanging over another, but it was too blurred to make out the details. "I'm not sure...but-" He got cut off as a loud wail of a kit broke through the air.

Wordlessly, Rabbit-tail dashed forward, mother-instincts kicking in. Raccoonstripe followed, abnormally long tail whipping in the roaring wind like it had a mind of its own. Pain numbed his paws, but he fought on, not wanting the former mother to get hurt. Hailstar would have his head.

"Rabbit-tail, you really shouldn't be-" He faltered, skidding to a halt and eyes widening to see the wolf hanging over _three _bodies, not one. The bobbed-tail she-cat stood rigidly behind it, teeth flashing against the snow.

He forced himself not to call out. That would only get the wolf's attention. But then what was he supposed to do?!

Panic seized him when he saw the she-cat yowl over the wind, making the predator whip around. The wolf narrowed hits eyes, lips pulling back into a snarl. Out of alarm, Raccoonstripe did the same.

The wolf hesitated, suddenly looking uncertain. Raccoonstripe desperately hoped it didn't have a pack, or the entire Clan would be in trouble.

"Get out of our territory, you piece of foxdung!" Rabbit-tail snapped, silver claws unsheathing and curling into the fluffy ice. How could she be so brave toward that thing? The tom thought in bewilderment.

The predator let out a soft growl of disapproval, but seemed just as alarmed by the former mother's rage. It took a shaky step back, clearly thinking otherwise, and sprinted into the cloudy haze of white and black.

A cloud of steam flowed from the dusty tabby as she snorted, before slowly approaching the limp figures. She beckoned the deputy with a flick of an ear, lacking a tail to do so. The fellow tabby hesitantly came to her side, not just shaking from cold.

He was relieved and surprised to find the father not half-eaten, but also confused by why kittens were at his side. Before he could repeat these questions out loud, Rabbit-tail grunted. "We must take them back to camp, before they freeze to death."

"But, they're rogues! We can't just waltz in with a father and his kits and expect the Clan not to question it!" Raccoonstripe protested stubbornly.

"The Warrior Code says to never leave kits behind. We can dismiss the father, for the kits will need at least one parent." The she-cat snorted, grasping the two kits. It had been made clear the discussion was over, so the deputy didn't push it farther.

He hauled the heavy silver tabby onto his backside. He struggled, body shaking beneath the weight, until he finally straightened up and followed Rabbit-tail slowly back to camp. He just hoped this wouldn't be the wrong choice.

* * *

><p>The silver tabby groaned, stirring slowly, pulling away from the darkness weakly. His head throbbed, and everything was sore, making it hard to move.<p>

He opened his eyes only a bit, but found it difficult to look straight at something without his vision blurring. He shut his eyes again, letting the warmth wash over him and just listen to his surroundings.

He could tell he was surrounded by moss in a den, which was obvious enough by the stuffiness. A sharp mixture of plants hit his nostrils, which slightly confused him. The distant murmurings of other cats could be heard.

Stiffening, he strained his ears to try and catch a few words. "-tail chased the fleabag off to reveal the three of them. It was quite strange." There seemed to be a short pause, before a deeper voice sounded. "Any updates on the father, Boulderfoot?"

By the name, the tom guessed he was in a Clan, which relaxed him slightly. "He's been sinking in and out of sleep, muttering some things I haven't quite caught yet." This time a more feminine tone responded. "He was delirious and had a fever, but it has calmed down now. That is all I know of at the moment."

"Very well. How are the kits?" The deeper voice questioned, the sound of rustling dry leaves followed. _My kits! _The tom thought in relief.

"Hanging in there. Rabbit-tail happily took the job." The first one grunted, in a bit of a sympathetic way.

"Well, tell me when the father wakes up." Eight pairs of pawsteps that sounded as if they were leaving ended the conversation.

The tom finally forced himself to open his eyes of gold, and was greeted warmly by the sight of bramble walls and ceiling of the den. He scanned his surroundings, pausing to see his gaze land on the backside of a white she-cat. She seemed to be sorting some sort minty-green leaves.

He hesitated, before looking to the entrance. He supposed the two other cats had left. Then he bristled, jerking upright, trying to get into a standing position, only to stagger and fall into more of a sit.

The ruckus made the she-cat turn, and his eyes met with a pair of lime green. He beat her to talking. "What have you done to my kits?" He hissed, suddenly in a very bad mood. What had happened?

"Calm yourself." The obvious herbalist let out a trilling sound, lashing her fluffy tail. "They're with the queens, who are taking care of them."

Letting the fur lie flat on his spine, the tom listened to her question. "What is your name? You will need to explain a lot of things, I'm afraid."

"Ferret. The loner." He responded shortly, not making eye-contact. "Is this Riverclan?" He was distracting by what he had vowed to his mate.

The she-cat seemed surprised, answering quite slowly. "No. This is Windclan...why?" She then added curiously. "You have a lot of knowledge about the Clans for being a loner."

_Foxdung. I knew I overshot it. _"Nevermind. May I go see my kits?" He decided not to tell them that his mate was from Riverclan, thinking that maybe that wouldn't be such a great idea, since they were strangers.

"No!" Boulderfoot's voice was suddenly firm, and she rose to her paws. She seemed to struggle for a bit, and Ferret noticed that one of her hind feet were limp and dragged on the dirt ground. "You _just _broke your fever! You're staying down until I say otherwise."

"Now, what are your kits' names? And where is your mate?" Her tone was a little lighter this time, but it still held an edge of stiffness.

Ferret paused, slightly shocked, before answering. "The tom, the one with silver fur, is Troutkit. The she-cat is by the name of Badgerkit." He then added sharply, forcing back tears. "And I'll never tell you what happened to my mate!"

"Very well." Boulderfoot nodded, sitting down. "You better sleep. Hailstar will see what to do with you in several days."

Ferret snorted and lowered into a lying position, facing the bramble wall. He broke his oath to Stormpath...what was he supposed to do now?

After hour of endlessly shifting, he finally drifted into a restless sleep, having nightmares of every event that happened in the last two days and nights...


	2. Chapter 1, Omen

**-Heh, thank you! :3**

**Chapter 1, Omen**

Rabbit-tail laid beside two kits, one of gray, the other of near black. She smiled fondly as they suckled, seeming to grow stronger by heartbeats. She missed this..

It had been a week now, since Ferret had joined with his kits. Hailstar was still pondering his rank, but it was certain he was to join. Only Boulderfoot, Hailstar, Ferret, and herself knew this.

She lowered her pink nose to nuzzle the runt of the two closer to her stomach. She couldn't believe these two had blood that no one would trust of-especially not Windclan. One of the names were obvious to the Clan, though.

The youngest, the brother, began to let out soft mews, feeling the soil flooring of the den beneath him. His calls were of distress, which made the former mother anxious.

"Shh, shh...come here, little one.." She whispered, lifting a gentle paw and slowly pushing him back to his sister, who was fast asleep against her belly. "No one can hurt you..."

No...what was she thinking?! She sighed and set her chin onto her paws. This was someone else's kits! That, and there was something terribly wrong with these kits of Ferret's!

"Rabbit-tail." A familiar voice startled her from her thoughts, and she jerked her head up to see a tall blue-gray tom. She let her dusty brown tabby fur lie flat once more.

"Hello, Hailstar." She dipped her head to her mate as he approached, silvery aqua eyes round with worry at her slightly distant behavior. He dipped his own into her forehead, letting his tongue swipe of her nose.

Rabbit-tail let out a soft purr, which seemed to make the kits grow into a heavier sleep, because they too purred. "Why are you here? I thought you had to go on the dusk patrol?"

"Too worried to go on patrols, I'm afraid." The leader sighed, settling down into a laying position, tucking his paws beneath his chest. "This whole business has been putting me off of my duties."

"Yeah, it has me worried too..." Rabbit-tail admitted slowly, before letting out a heavy breath. "Do we really have to keep 'you-know-what' a secret?"

"Yes. It would be better for the kits to grow up thinking they were born in this Clan. We want them to think they have normal blood." Hailstar responded firmly, casting a glance to the two siblings.

There was a long moment of silence as they both watched the kits sleep and nuzzle, having little dreams that made them twitch and kick. Like all newborns, this was a common thing. "Do you miss them?" Hailstar asked slowly, not making eye contact.

Rabbit-tail frowned, having no idea what he was talking about. Also, why did he start off so abruptly? "Do I miss who?"

"Leafkit, Sparrowkit, and Swiftkit."

The former mother averted her eyes almost immediately at the mentioning, folding her ears back as she shut those emerald eyes._Why is he talking about them?! _Her jaw refused to move, that old grief flooding back like a flash-storm.

"Yes. I was their mother, for crying out loud." She finally answered, her tone cold, struggling to hide the edge of sadness, but failed greatly.

"You do know you can't replace them. These kits are not ours." Hailstar said calmly, stretching out a paw to place it on hers. She didn't move it away, no matter how tempting.

"I know that! Don't you think I can't control the old ways of my mind?" She growled lowly, fixing her gaze to him. "It's like giving a two-leg a kit and saying 'Here, can you take care of it for three days?' that's not the way things go! The two-leg ends up keeping the kit!"

Rabbit-tail shook her head, tucking her nose into her forepaw. She let herself cry, but didn't want her mate to see her. When she felt him lay beside her, she murmured softly. "They died because of me...it was all my fault..."

"No. It wasn't. That Shadowclan warrior had you dragged from the nursery. You couldn't do anything." Hailstar muttered, setting a chin on her side and licking her shoulder soothingly.

"Mew!" They both looked up to see the eldest crawling around, letting out sounds that nearly sounded of meowing, but not quite. Rabbit-tail sniffed and dragged the kit closer to her, Badgerkit's dark pelt pressed against her light. A small smile cracked on her lips.

She felt the warmth shift from her side and she looked to see her mate rise slowly to his paws, shaking his blue-gray fur from the debris. "Well, it's time for sleep. Goodnight, love." He nuzzled her cheek, whispering in her ear. "Dream of our kits for me, you hear?"

Rabbit-tail sighed and smiled, licking his. "I'll try. Goodnight, darling."

"Tell me if you need anything." Hailstar purred, before turning and slipping out of the nursery, leaving three queens and six kits within the warm, dark depths.

For a long while, Rabbit-tail stayed awake, watching over the two kits like a guard. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't sink into the comfortable darkness of slumber.

Only when the moon was at its highest peek, did she drift off, where dreams would disturb her thoughts...

* * *

><p><em>The surroundings were warm and cold at the same time, the grass she laid upon was soft and velvety. She slowly opened her eyes. <em>

_She found herself in a clearing, surrounded by beautiful trees of different species, with bushes dotted with blueberries at their trunks. She slowly rose to her paws, unsure as to where she was. The grass was a warm jade green. _

_She looked up, the night sky clear with not even a single cloud. Stars of silver and gold sparked on the black landscape above. Rabbit-tail then shifted her emerald gaze to the undergrowth. She now had a clear idea of where she was: Starclan._

_She frowned, eyes scanning her surroundings. She had only been here once before, when she was granted a warrior rank. Why was she here now?_

_She cocked her head when seeing a squirrel dash past, and then several apprentices followed, not even glancing in her direction. She sat down and waited, no matter how strange this was to her._

_Rabbit-tail was once again alone, and she awkwardly looked around. The sudden sound of crackling caught her attention, making her bristle._

_"Rabbit-tail." _

_The brown tabby she-cat widened her eyes as a familiar cedar brown tom stepped out, emerald eyes glowing brighter than his surroundings. "Hawkclaw? Father?" Rabbit-tail rushed forward, nuzzling his chest as he licked her ear fondly._

_Hawkclaw took a step back, his smile vanishing. "I'm afraid I'm meeting you here for more important matters." Rabbit-tail nodded, sitting down._

_"Tell me everything. It will at least explain why I'm here."_

_"A prophecy is to form." Hawkclaw began, eyes fixing seriously onto his daughter. "You will tell no one of it except for Hailstar and Boulderfoot. Do you understand?"_

_Rabbit-tail nodded slowly, now a bit anxious. This was more important than she had thought._

_**"A**** cat with mixed blood will have to make a choice between Dark and Star. The cat shall either destroy the Clan, or save it."**_


	3. Chapter 2, Secret

**-Thank you so much! This really makes me want to continue! :D**

**Chapter 2, Secret**

_One moon later_

"Mommy, mommy, can we go outside?" Badgerkit heard her hyperactive brother squeak, and she turned to see Rabbit-tail and Ferretflight sitting side by side, looking down at silver-furred Troutkit.

Dusty brown tabby, Rabbit-tail, sighed, rolling her emerald eyes. "Hmm. What do you think, Ferret?" Badgerkit always found it strange that she shortened their father's name. In fact, the other Windclanners did it, too, while they didn't do it to anyone else.

The light gray tom perked his ears, icy blue eyes softening. He chuckled, flicking his white tail tip. "If we contain their energy any longer, I think they'll destroy the nursery."

"Does that mean-" Badgerkit cut her self short as her voice cracked. She snorted in irritation. Ever since she opened her eyes, her mews were never quite clear. Her parents told her that when she was born she mewed _a lot, _which could explain some things.

"Yes. Go on ahead, I believe Falconkit and Tawnykit are already out there." Ferret nudged Troutkit, who mewled in protest, slightly startled.

Badgerkit smirked and flicked a dark gray tail, motioning for her smaller brother to follow. She turned and crawled up the steep slope of soil, toward the sunlight. She struggled slightly, thick claws digging into the dirt, until she finally heaved herself up.

She winced and shut her eyes against the bright light, recoiling as Troutkit came to her side and did the same. A sudden bare cold slammed into both of their faces and Badgerkit made a croaky growl in protest.

The small she-cat finally forced to crack her eyes open again, and her vision was slightly blurred, everything just big blobs. She opened her eyes fully against the light, pupils slitting. She then breathed in, ears flicking upright. "Whoa!"

The camp of Windclan was surrounded by high walls of dirt that only skilled warriors could climb, with dens either embedded into the walls or the ground, surrounded by brambles and tall grass of bronze and amber. The leader den was especially impressive.

It was a massive boulder, with smaller rocks surrounding it. Ivy vines and moss covered the undersides of the stone and a thick clump of bushes hid the leader's den at the base of the boulder.

Cats the shades of white and black, brown and sand, gray and silver, wandered the clearing, some even sharing-tongues. Snow covered the ground, but it was more of sleet now, leaving bare grassy patches here and there.

"Is that Hailstar?" The dark gray she-cat heard Troutkit gasp, and she immediately fixed her eyes to the blue-gray tom laying proudly on the boulder he nearly blended into.

Before Badgerkit could _try _to respond, a smug voice cut her off. "Hey, Broken-voice and Fish-face!" The siblings narrowed their eyes as the two brothers that were by the name of Falconkit and Tawnykit approached.

"Hello, Chicken-wing and Spots-fur." Badgerkit snapped, her voice coming out in a strange pausing away, cracking and breaking between words. She absolutely _despised _the two.

"Here to brag about how you are one moon older than us, meaning one moon closer to apprenticeship?" Troutkit asked with a sharp edge to his tone, lashing his thick silver tail. "It's getting old, you know."

"Nah, not this time." Falconkit snorted, unsheathing his short yet sharp claws, ash-gray fur twitching slightly in irritation. "We're just here to see if you'd like to play a friendly game of Early Apprentice?"

Badgerkit took a hesitant step back, icy blue eyes narrowing coldly. She knew if she spoke any more, her voice would completely stop working for another day._The Clan made it clear that that game was against the rules! It's too dangerous!__  
><em>

Troutkit said her words for her, as if reading her mind. In fact, he could. It was strange, but they severely close, and they told no one of the ability. Not even their parents. "You know that game is against the rules! Besides, not even you are close enough to be an apprentice if we could play that!"

"Are you saying you're scared?" Tawnykit smirked, raising his chin. He then took a glance to his brother. "Looks like we have a pair of scaredy cats!"

"No!" Troutkit's tone wavered, as if he were unsure as to what he was going to do to back up his point._Please, for the love of Starclan, don't say anything stupid! _Badgerkit didn't care if he heard her, the events making her grow anxious. "We just think that-that you two are mousebrained enough to think of such an idea!"_  
><em>

_No! You imbecile! _She thought in alarm, getting into a defensive poise. If Troutkit could make anything worse, he could do it ten times better than a kit who called a Shadowclan warrior fat.

Falconkit bristled, practically spitting venom now. "What did you just call me, Water-breather? Is that a challenge?"

"Yeah, is that a challenge?" Tawnykit added, claws curling into the bare patch of dirt and grass.

"N-no-no!"

"Enough. At sunhigh, let's meet up at those brambles." Falconkit gestured to the thick thorny wall surrounding the top of the slope with a flick of his tail. "We challenge you to a fight."

And with that the brothers whipped around and into the nursery. Badgerkit snapped in the direction of her brother, growling softly. "You mousebrain!"

"Uh, yeah..." Troutkit admitted slowly, stepping back. He then muttered. "Maybe we should tell mom and dad that they're bullying us?"

"That would make us soft and even more helpless in their eyes. Besides, mom and dad already seem to be stressed, by how much their talking behind our backs lately." Badgerkit croaked, sitting down and looking at her paws. She honestly had no idea why they talked so much, muttering right in front of them.

Her brother let out a heavy breath, shaking his head. "We're going to be killed."

_Maybe so. _Badgerkit switched to mind-talking, deciding that she was pushing her luck with using her voice._But there is only one way to being warriors, it is not doubt. It is proof of your loyalty._

Troutkit sighed a nodded sadly, sitting down and slouching, shutting his eyes. "Why does everyone treat us differently?"

The question shocked her, and she stayed silent for a long moment. She actually didn't know why, and it was so frequent that she barely noticed. Now that she realized it, many cats that passed them glanced in their direction with suspicious glares.

She didn't have an answer that would comfort him. She shook her head._I...I don't know. Maybe we should ask Ferretflight and Rabbit-tail?_

But her brother just slowly staggered upright and turned, slipping back into the nursery. Badgerkit followed, unsure as to why and how their world had changed so drastically from a different view in a matter of minutes.

She found Troutkit sitting down before their father, seeming to hesitate. Badgerkit watched quietly, knowing he would ask them. The silver figure of her brother shook slightly.

He began to speak, his tone staggered and slow, but as he talked on, it grew stronger and more fluid. "Ferretflight? Rabbit-tail? Why does everyone look at us differently? Why do they act like we're strange?" He seemed desperate to know, cocking his head.

There was a long and uncomfortable pause, their parents casting each other nervous glances. Ferret finally sighed, but never met his son's eyes. "We'll tell you later. Right now is not the time to know..."

"But why? It makes us scared!" Troutkit began to cry out, icy blue eyes widening. Badgerkit flinched, startled by his demands and their father's refusal to tell the truth. "Are we freaks or not?!"

"Troutkit, do not shout at your father!" Rabbit-tail snapped, but even Badgerkit could tell that she had a glint of panic in those emerald depths. They were hiding something.

"It will be better if you know when you're older." Ferret said softly, shutting his eyes tightly and flinching away, as if pained to keep the truth away.

The dark gray she-kit could tell that now every gaze of the other kits and queens were burning into them. They all seemed to hold the same thing: alarm.

"But daddy, everyone seems to hate us!" Troutkit continued, backing away in fear. "Why?! Did we do something wrong?"

"No!" Rabbit-tail burst out. She then sighed, saying quietly. "No...it's not your fault. And-and no one hates you."

"Then-"

"Troutkit, it's time for you two to nap. You are clearly in a bad mood."

"But-"

"Now, Troutkit!"

* * *

><p>Badgerkit laid in the mossbed, laying beside her mother and brother. She gazed at the ceiling of the den, moonlight piercing through the thorn bramble branches. She had been troubled by the event that had happened that morning and afternoon.<p>

Luckily, they didn't have to have the fight, because even the bullies were too shocked to stir the two from their nap.

She flinched when she felt Rabbit-tail stir, clearly having a terrible effort to go to sleep as well. "Badgerkit...?"

"Hi, mommy..."

"Can't sleep, either?"

"No..." Badgerkit shifted to her side, not wanting to make eye contact, too nervous to do so. Honestly, she was surprised Troutkit could sleep.

"...Did the fight bother you?"

"Yeah...But, why do you have to keep the secret? Are we bad to the Clan?" Her voice began to croak, which irritated her, especially since they were just starting a conversation.

"No, honey. It-it's just that you're a bit different than the rest of the Clan. Ferret's different as well." Her voice hesitated.

"What?! How so?!" The kit was surprised by this. But nearly everyone treated him with full on respect!

"Hon, sometimes you just have to wait. Like your father said, it will be said when you're six moons old.."

"Aren't secrets bad, though?"

"It depends. Sometimes they can be used to protect another, or others. Now, try to go to sleep."

Badgerkit sighed when she felt her mother grow still into a heavy sleep. She shut her eyes, curling up into a tight ball. How bad was the secret if it had to protect them? Would she ever know, until she was an apprentice, that is?


End file.
